The main topic is Emtech's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Innovation kit and its $4 million seed investment led by Matrix Partners India. The key points are:
1. Emtech introduced its CBDC Innovation kit for fintechs and financial service providers interested in experimenting with digital currencies pioneered by central banks.
2. The $4 million seed investment, led by Matrix Partners India, will support the development of Emtech's CBDC stack and regtech solution.
3. Emtech is currently working with six central banks, including Ghana, Nigeria, and the Bahamas, to develop regtech and CBDC stack solutions.
4. The company aims to digitize cash infrastructure for central banks and promote fintech-friendly CBDCs.
5. Emtech's CBDC Innovation Kit includes a regulatory sandbox and a simulator wallet for fintechs to test transactions and new business models.
6. The company has about 200 fintech companies on its waitlist to work on the platform.
7. The deployment of CBDCs has the potential to turbocharge financial inclusion in Africa and other regions.
Ripple has launched a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) platform on the XRP Ledger, and already over 8 countries, including Russia, Japan, and the UAE, are building CBDCs on the platform, with more than 15% of global nations in talks with Ripple to adopt its technology.
The growing support for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) is driven by efforts to shorten financial settlement cycles, with 87% of survey respondents seeing CBDCs as a viable option for faster settlements by 2026, according to a report by Citi.
The Digital Dollar Project collaborated with Western Union on a pilot project exploring the use of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for cross-border remittances, revealing several benefits such as reduced counterparty risk and increased accessibility for the unbanked.
Main topic: Soramitsu's involvement in building a cross-border payment system for Asian countries using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins.
Key points:
1. Soramitsu supports the issuance and usage of the Asian CBDC Bakong for cross-border digital payments between Cambodia and Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
2. The company aims to enable similar cross-border payments for India, China, and Laos, and is working to establish a Japanese exchange for stablecoins.
3. The cross-border payment network aims to connect Japanese small and midsize companies directly with individuals and businesses in Southeast Asia, leveraging CBDCs and stablecoins for faster and low-cost transactions.
Reliance Industries, led by Chairman Mukesh Ambani, is entering the world of blockchain and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) through its financial services entity, Jio Financial Services, with plans to consolidate payment infrastructure and explore blockchain-based platforms and CBDCs.
Thailand plans to allocate $16 billion in its budget for a crypto universal basic income scheme, while Binance Japan aims to list 100 digital assets, and Delio users' holdings have been reduced by half.
Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a real estate tycoon, has been named finance minister in a cabinet endorsed by the king, with the aim of boosting the country's economy and implementing campaign promises such as a 10,000 baht ($285.63) handout in digital currency.
China's central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital yuan, is undergoing upgrades and wallet providers should enable payment options in all retail scenarios through the integration of CBDC QR codes.
The Reserve Bank of India is set to introduce its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the call money market as tokens for call money settlement.
Proponents of a digital euro face political opposition, with some critics portraying it as a tool for state control and surveillance, which makes defending the central bank digital currency (CBDC) challenging for central bankers who are more accustomed to technical and economic arguments; however, officials are attempting to address concerns by emphasizing privacy features and maintaining a continuous dialogue to gain people's trust.
The USA is unlikely to launch a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) anytime soon, according to Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve's Vice Chair for Supervision, as it could pose risks to financial stability and the US payments system.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has successfully used novel intermediaries to reduce liquidity risk and enhance security for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in its Project Sela, which feeds into CBDC projects for the Israeli shekel and Hong Kong dollar. The project has demonstrated the feasibility of implementing secure and private CBDC systems on a central bank's ledger, protecting against hacks and ensuring privacy for users.
The United States Congress held a hearing on the potential creation of a US central bank digital currency (CBDC), with most expert witnesses arguing against it due to concerns about privacy, the commercial banking system, and government surveillance.
Thailand's Revenue Department plans to impose personal income tax on foreign revenues, including crypto trading, for individuals residing in the country for more than 180 days starting from 2024.
Thailand's new government plans to borrow 2.4 trillion baht ($66.4 billion) for the fiscal year 2024, representing a 9% increase from the current year, as part of their efforts to stimulate the economy.
Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin says that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have become "front ends" for the traditional banking system instead of being blockchain-friendly with transparency and privacy features, making them even less private and breaking down barriers against corporations and the government. He believes that Ethereum may be more resistant to government interference with its proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.
Author Robert Kiyosaki believes that Bitcoin and other assets will become "priceless" as the Federal Reserve introduces a central bank digital currency (CBDC), leading to a loss of privacy and increased government control.
Eurozone central banks are planning to introduce a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) to facilitate faster settlement of securities and forex transactions, while plans for a digital euro for regular citizens are facing concerns over privacy and the impact on commercial banks. The central banks aim to explore new technologies and protocols, including blockchain, and trials with real transactions will be conducted next year.
South Korea's central bank, the Bank of Korea (BOK), will launch a pilot project to explore the technical infrastructure for a central bank digital currency (CBDC), in collaboration with private banks, public institutions, and expert support from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
